Oct. 26, 2007
University Park, Pa. - A goal by Mallory Weisen in the 51st minute was the only goal of the game as Penn State held Ohio State without a single shot in the entire game to defeat the Buckeyes 1-0 on Friday night in a game that was played in a steady downpoor. The game marks the second time this year that the No. 9 Nittany Lions have held their opponent without a shot. Penn State also held West Chester shotless back on September 14.
With the win in the regular season finale, the Nittany Lions finish the regular season with a 12-6 overall record and a 3-3 mark in the Big Ten, which places them alone in fourth place. The win clinched the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament for Penn State and the Nittany Lions will once again face Ohio State, the No. 5 seed, in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament next Thursday in Columbus, Ohio. The win was also the 375th career win for Penn State coach Charlene Morett. Penn State has not lost to an unranked opponent this year.
The Nittany Lions had several scoring chances in the game but up until Weisen's goal, Ohio State keeper Lindsay Quintiliani kept them off the board with some impressive saves. She had seven in the game, including five in the first half to keep the game scoreless at the break. Penn State had six shots in the first half and six penalty corners but did not convert.
Penn State was awarded a penalty corner at the beginning of the 51st minute. Off the corner, Weisen took an initial shot that was blocked by an Ohio State defender and caromed not far from the defender to the left of Weisen. She immediately pounced on the ball and took a reverse shot from her left and her hard one-timer on her second attempt went right through the legs of Quintiliani at the 50:37 mark for the only score of the game. The goal was the eighth of the season for the senior, which gives her a career high for goals in a season, surpassing her previous high of seven set last year.
Penn State outshot Ohio State 16-0 for the game and generated 10 penalty corners to just one for the Buckeyes. Ohio State had a few scoring chances late in the second half but its best one was put aside when a crossing pass from the right went all the way through the circle and passed right in front of the cage but went untouched. The Nittany Lion defense did an outstanding job of picking off passes and disrupting Ohio State dribbles once the ball got into the circle.
Weisen led Penn State with five shots while Kiersten Wood had four. Both Shaun Banta and Britney Long had three shots apiece. Jenny Purvis took her first career shot and it was right on but was kicked away on a nice play by Quintiliani in the first half.
Penn State and Ohio State will once again meet next Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinals on Friday to take on No. 1 seed Michigan. Next Friday's semifinals will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.